Left: Funeral Procession for victims of the Daly West Mine Disaster July 1902 (From Donald Richardson Collection) [Note: since this picture is in my collection, I would assume that the coffin of George Robert Richardson is one of these...]  Right: Original headlines as they appeared in the Park Record July 19, 1902. [Note: Daly West was the mine, 1200 was the underground level in feet.]

Transcription provided by Mike Judd:

My grandmother had saved a copy of the newspaper, dated July 19,1902 that described the terrible mine explosion as well as the heroic acts of 4 young men, one of whom was George Richardson. I will try and get it copied but for now ~ it reads in part as follows

"George Richardson was but a boy in years, being 17 years old the first of the month. But he had a man's heart within his breast, and a noble and brave one at that. He was born in Park City. He had been working in the Daly West but a short time, pushing car on the 900, but was not on shift at the time of the accident. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Richardson and was a steady and industrious young man, esteemed by all who know him. His remains are being held for burial until the arrival of his sister, Mrs. Grace Bryant, from London, Ky. The funeral will likely take place Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson have the sympathy of all in their deep sorrow." Mention is made of the undertaker S.I. Richardson… (authors note these are the initials of Sarah Isabelle, wife of Jacob Franklin and mother of George Richardson!)

Also it read   "George Richardson was the third of the heroic rescuers whose death must be sadly recorded. He was seen to go down on the cage, but in the excitement none could remember having seen him come up. So throughout the long day his fate was an uncertainty and his striken parents and his relatives lived the long hours in that suspense that was worse even, than would have been the certain announcement of his death. His body was discovered late in the evening, about seventy-five feet down the winze, hanging suspended by his arm over the air pipe, where the poor boy had doubtless struggled for one last breath of relief. He was not yet 17 years of age."
 

There were 4 young men who died trying to rescue others according to the report. The paper went on to say  "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend. Nothing truer is there, nothing that is more applicable to the cases of the heroes who sprang from safety to death with the thought uppermost in their minds that some one could be rescued, their noble hearts forcing their young blood through their veins with increased rapidity as their anxiety to aid a fellow man in distress prompted them to action. No thought entered their minds whether friends below awaited them it was enough that there was a hope that help could be extended to some one that grief could be snatched from the heart of some mother, and joy take the place of sorrow in some household if a life was saved to them. The four silent heroes, Johnie McLaughlin, Richard Dillor, George Richardson and John Eckstrom have builded unto themselves monuments that time will never crumble, and the memory of their grand and noble sacrifices will live forever. It would not be amiss, however, to erect a stone to their memory as a testimonial, that strangers may note that their lives went out in a heroic effort to succor mankind. Poor, heroic, brave and noble boys. May the grass that will grow above the mounds that mark your beds be ever green; may the memory of your noble deeds bear blossoms forevermore."